Mt. Fansipan, 3143m high, is the highest peak in Vietnam and the entire Indochina peninsula. This summit is definitely the most desired target for mountain conquerors to Indochina. The Haven gate trek trail to Mt. Fansipan is best suit for trekkers with limited time while it still wraps inside all essentials of Sapa beauty and real adventure spirits. Our trek to Mt. Fansipan is challenging and fully supported on each single step by our guides, porters and cooks who have local knowledge and understandings of the different hill-tribe cultures on the way. That feature will add to the uniqueness of this exhilarating journey.

Tour Highlights

Victory moments and great views while standing at the roof of Indochina

Challenging enough trails but suitable for most of climbers

Superb beauty of jungle, valleys and cloudy oceans etc

Fully supported by professional hiking expert, guide and porters

Brief Itinerary

Night 1: Night train to Lao Cai

Day 1: Lao Cai – Sapa.

Day 2: Trek to the first base camp of Mt. Fansipan

Day 3: Trek to mt. Fansipan Peak and return Sapa

Day 4: Back to Hanoi

Night 1: Night train to Lao Cai.

Note: Even though, there is Highway Express to connect Hanoi - Lao cai that shortens the road transfer down to 5.5 hours, we still offer railway transfer. The rail in Vietnam is very much different to those ones in your country then train ride itself is an experience worthy to take. If you dont like train transfer, contact our team to change to road transfer. If road transfer confirmed, the tour omits this night and starts from Day 01.

Otherwise, our adventure typically starts with a night train from Hanoi Railway Station (B Gate - Tran Quy Cap street). Before that, our guide and car transfer will collect you from your hotel or a pick up point. You will need to be at Railway station at least 45 minute prior to departure. Our train often leaves at 20.30 - 21.50. Your cabin is air-conditioning, sharing, 4 berth by default but you can request us to upgrade to private charter. Overnight in AC soft sleeper cabin.

Summary

Transfer hotel – railway station: AC vehicle

Accommodation: Soft sleeper in AC cabin

Day 1: Lao Cai – Sapa Town ~ no trekking

Note: if you decided to travel via Highway Express. You will depart from Hanoi at 7.00AM this day morning and suppose to arrive to Sapa at 12.00PM. Then keep up with the rest part of this Mt. Fansipan trekking adventureArrive in Lao Cai Railway Station at around 5.30 am. Our guide and driver will pick you up at the Station then please pay attention to our "Welcome board". After a brief greeting, we will take 1 hour drive uphill to the beautiful town of Sapa. The road continuously twists and turns along mountain and you will soon get into your eyes a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces while our tour guide is brief about our forehead challenge. Upon arrival in Sapa Town, we have a hot breakfast in a local restaurant. We spare this day at your own schedule to relax and enjoy the town. Sapa is a lovely and small town to discover on foot.

Otherwise, you can get involve yourself in some kinds of short hiking trips to warm up and make your muscle get acquaintance to physical activities. Some options we suggest are:

- Hiking and climbing to Ham Rong mountain. This is a small mountain in Sapa center, that offers nice panoramic view of the town. About 1,5 hour climbing up and down.

- Short trek to Ta Phin - Red Dzao village. About 1,5 hour trekking.

- Longer trek to Ta Van village and homestay here. About 2.5 hours trekking
All prepare for the amazing challenge of next two days while we is about to trek up to level of 3143m height. Overnight in Sapa.

In the morning, we travel by car for about 30 minutes toward the Silver Waterfall. You may stop there for photos of the sparkling-silver color stream pouring down from mountains after heavy rains. In dry days, we will skip this because the waterfall is not that spectacular. We will then drive further to Heaven Gate, the highest road in Vietnam to the sea water level. Right from there, in clear weather, we can see Mt. Fansipan, the highest peak of Indochina mountains as well as enjoy stunning view of the Binh Lu valley. Get ready to take this peak down to our feet.

Start climbing here while the trek will be relatively moderate until lunchtime. You will cross some streams with cold, clear water. The trekking, water-proof boots are strongly recommended. After 2,5 hours hiking on rocky, dirt trails, we arrive the resting stop at 2200m. Enjoy picnic lunch. With new energy, we get into a harder adventure from here. The trail starts the real mountain hike with climbing up and up and up then finally descending towards the campsite for next 3,5 hours. The trek is truely breath-taking with its all meanings. Right at moments, you feel the exhaust, the magnificent views to Sapa and beautiful landscape of Lai Chau province show up and wipe it all. We will trek to Mt Fansipan's campsite at 2800m ASL in afternoon around 4pm. Now it is time to relax and enjoy a well prepared dinner by our support crew.

We get up early today for breakfast and start to the peak to catch up the sunrise. Leaving the resting site, we take the last trek to Fansipan mountain peak at 3.143m, where we can celebrate your victory. The last trek, we climb mostly vertically up to the cliffs. The rout will be up from 2800m to 2900m then we take down vertically again to 2800m before trekking up directly to 3.143m. This part requests your utmost focus on climbing skills.
After 2,5 hours hiking up, your awards are the speechless feeling of victory and breathtaking, stunning nature surrounding you that you hardly feel in your whole life. Take a picture here as a certificate of winning conqueror, we prepare for getting downhill.

You will take a trek back to the campsite for lunch. After lunch, you start your journey down back. You follow the trail as well as stone steps built by Hoang Lien National Park until meeting our driver again. Drive back to Sapa town. Arrive there in afternoon, take a shower, if time permits, we spare you some free time to celebrate your achievement in your very own way. Transfer to Lao Cai Railway Station for the night train back to Hanoi.

Summary

Trekking: 7.5 hrs/ascend 3,143 m and back to Heaven Gate for the transfer to Sapa

Accommodation: Soft sleeper in AC cabin

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Back to Hanoi

Arrive in Hanoi early morning. You may need to contact us to manage a transfer to the airport or connection with other adventures in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (Burma) with ActiveTravel.asia.

- Hiking Fansipan without local guide/porter is not permitted due to safety reason.
- We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

All tours are private. No joined-in, customized. No fixed dates. (except Amazing Thailand on Motorbike)You can customize to pick one or some most favorite sections.The price - if not customized - is fixed. No hidden cost, no surprised.We are full licensed operator and only work with similar legal status partners. It's adventurous, not riskyMany discounts available from May to Sep. Minimum surcharges on peak days (Xmas, New Year etc)Still questions?! Please contact usor email: info@activetravel.asia

What is Included

Returned tickets on A/C sleeper cabin on train

Twin shared room in Sapa

Shared room in the lodge at Resting site or Camping tents if the lodge is over-booked

Road transfer two ways in Lao Cai - Sapa

Road transfer one way in Hanoi

Professional trekking English speaking guide

Porters & Cook

First-aid kit

Meals as indicated in the itinerary

Water & Snacks

Entrance & sightseeing fees

Fansipan climbing permissions

Service charges and taxes

What is NOT Included

Travel insurance

Optional tours in Day 01

Visa process and stamp fee

Tips and gratitude

Personal expenses

Others not mentioned

THIS ADVENTURE INFORMATION
Duration: 4 days, 4 nights
Depart from: Hanoi - End at: Hanoi
When: Oct - Jun see more Vietnam weather
Activities: Mountain trekking
Transport: Train, Bus, on foot
Accommodation: 1 night hotel, 1 night in basic lodge, 2 nights train
Tour guide: English speaking guide
Support crew: Porters & cook
Trekking grade: Challenging Grade that means this tour involve in active, physical required activities up to 06 – 08 hours per days in remote area, under variable weather conditions or quick attitude changes. You are going to get into remote areas where the support facilities are not always available or facing to passes or river crossing. You should be in very good level of fitness. For those biking or motorcycling adventure, experienced riders with good driving skills may be required.

All meals, which are indicated in the itinerary, are included in the price of this trip. On the trek the support crew will cook meals for us. Since we are far away from the town, the emphasis will be on healthy and nutritious local produce. Please inform us if you have any special dietary requirement.

On our tour, we use first class trains of King Express or Orient Train or similar. These trains all offer Superior and Deluxe cabins with clean, comfortable, air – conditioned sleeper. All trains are designed with 4 soft berths in each cabin and individual reading light. Warm blanket and tender pillow are provided.

Toilet is often located at the front of each carriage. The train transfer often takes place in 8 - 8,5 hours overnight, the carriage is slightly shaking while traveling. You often arrive in Lao Cai city at early morning then take car transfer for 1 hour (35 km) to Sapa town.

- In Hanoi, one ATA staff will accompany you to the train to show you your cabin and tell you how to deal with night train traveling in Vietnam. Your car is private.

- In Lao Cai, our guide will meet you at Lao Cai Railway Station in the morning of the first day. He also sees you off at Lao Cai Railway Station on day 3. Your car is private, air-conditioning.

When you get back to Hanoi on day 4 you can easily find a taxi at the train station.

Road transfer (if requested)

The Highway Express connecting Hanoi - Lao cai launched in Sep 2014 and shorten the traveling time to 5.5 hours. This includes 4.5 hours, Hanoi - Lao cai city, 240km on good road conditions allowing speed from 70 - 100km/h, 01 stop for toilet and resting and 1 hour, Lao cai city - Sapa town, 35 km mountainous, twisting road. You often start from Hanoi at 7.30AM and arrive in Sapa at 1PM then lunch time.

On this trip, we will overnight at 2800m in a lodge. The lodge is bricked walls, steel proof with very basic conditions. There are 2 lodges divided into small rooms. Each room is for 12 persons maximum. You may have to share the room with other climbers. Your bedding area is a wooden panel, we will prepare heat insulation, yoga-style mats and winter sleeping bags. There are some toilets, not en-suite in room. No electricity and no hot water running yet.

In case the lodge overbooked, we will camp. Our camp for the evening will be in a very small clearing on the mountain enclosed by bamboo. You will be provided with twin shared tent, sleeping bag and yoga-style mats.

Our tour guide

The tour will be guided by one of our tour guides who are experienced in guided trekking tours in Vietnam. He has been carefully trained in this field and is fully licensed in tour guiding by the government. In addition, he has been trained in first-aid by SOS International and he knows how to deal with difficult situations. You will have a great time traveling with him.

Our porters

Our porters are local ethnic people who are absolutely familiar with the Mt. Fansipan trek as well as other trekking tours in Sapa. The porters carry the food, cooking items, sleeping accessories, water etc for your whole group. Each porter often carry the pack up to 40-50 kg. You will carry your luggage by yourself and so we highly suggest you should try to keep your bags under 5kg as an ideal weight.

The trekking day

A typical trekking day starts at about 8.00 am after breakfast. Lunch times can vary depending on the terrain. We aim to reach the next overnight stop by 4.30 pm. In the day trekking to the peak, we suppose to start earlier to catch up the sunrise, often around 05.30 - 06.00am. During the trek we will have short breaks for rest, snack and photographing.

Note on client safety

We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reasons, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor which may influence client safety.

Dear Sunny,
Many thanks for everything. I really enjoyed both tours. I will happily use Active Travel again. Hopefully, I will be contacting you again this time next year in order to book another tour.

Andrew
UK
(Hiked Mt. Fansipan and paddled Halong Bay in Feb09)

5.0

Mrs So

Malaysia

Thanks very much for coordinating everything 4.8

I am fine. Thank you very much for your kind concern.
The trek was enjoyable despite of a few stumbles. The overcast weather we had was the only setback, but it was compensated with the spectacular mountain views, and picturesque rice terraces.
The trek was fairly easy, except for day 2 and day 3 because of the muddy and slippery ground which we were not used to. The climb over the mountain was very difficult for me. I am very grateful to the cook, Vitte Cam. She helped me through this most difficult part of the trek. I had really bad balance on slippery surface. Cam looked out for my husband and I. She held my hand when crossing over difficult terrain and digged holes for my footing. Cam was the highlight of my trip.
I am very satisfied with the puntuality of your drivers.
The crew: guide, cook and porter were very friendly, enthusiastic and informative.

Thanks very much for coordinating everything.
Wishing ActiveTravel all the very best.

Regards,
Mrs So
(02 Malaysian trekkers in Mar09)

4.8

LauraD

Australia

Vietnam trek up Mr Fansipan 5.0

My partner and I did a 2 day trek up Mt Fansipan and the tour guide Chang was great. The whole tour was well organised and Chang was very happy and knowledgeable. The food was very authentic and delicious! Would highly recommend the Mt Fansipan trek but just make sure you do some training beforehand.